Arp 220 is the result of a collision between two spiral galaxies; the enormous object glows brightest in infrared light, making it an ideal target for the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.
Arp 220 lies approximately 250 million light-years away in the constellation of Serpens.
Also known as LEDA 55497, IRAS 15327+2340 or UGC 9913, it is the 220th object in Halton Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.
“Arp 220 is an ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) with a luminosity of more than a trillion suns,” Webb astronomers said in a statement.
“In comparison, our Milky Way Galaxy has a much more modest luminosity of about 10 billion suns.”
“Arp 220 is the nearest ULIRG and the brightest of the three galactic mergers closest to Earth.”
The collision of the two spiral galaxies began about 700 million years ago and sparked an enormous burst of star formation.
About 200 huge star clusters reside in a packed, dusty region about 5,000 light-years across.
The amount of gas in this tiny region is equal to all of the gas in the entire Milky Way Galaxy.
“Previous radio telescope observations revealed about 100 supernova remnants in an area of less than 500 light-years,” the astronomers said.
“The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope uncovered the cores of the parent galaxies 1,200 light-years apart.”
“Each of the cores has a rotating, star-forming ring blasting out the dazzling infrared light so apparent in this Webb view.”
“This glaring light creates diffraction spikes — the starburst feature that dominates this image.”
“On the outskirts of this merger, Webb reveals faint tidal tails, or material drawn off the galaxies by gravity, represented in blue — evidence of the galactic dance that is occurring.”
“Organic material represented in reddish-orange appears in streams and filaments across Arp 220.”
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